Welcome to our district's assessment page, which houses important information regarding our students' participation in statewide assessments, such as the PSSAs and Keystones. You can navigate this page to find:

1. Copies of the UCASD Assessment Newsletter.

2. Access to the dates for the statewide testing windows as well as the individual, building-level testing calendars for Winter Keystones, Spring PSSAs, and Spring Keystones.

3. Copies of the parent letter, electronic device policy, and more from PDE

4. Direct links to PDE resources for students and families, including the PDE Item Samplers with sample test questions and answers, test design descriptions and blue prints, and scoring guidelines for assessments.

Should you ever have any questions about local or statewide assessments, please contact our District Assessment Coordinator, Mrs. Email Stacey Dell or 814-438-3804 ext. 5457.

Issue #1 - October/November - 2022-2023 School Year

Check out our first edition of our UCASD Assessment Newsletter - Issue #1 - October/November 2022! A copy of this newsletter was sent district-wide to families, faculty, and staff on October 11, 2022. This issue featured an overview of local assessment data and how our team here at UCASD uses that data to drive instruction.

Issue #2 - December/January - 2022-2023 School Year 

Our second issue was sent district-wide on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. You can access it right here: UCASD Assessment Newsletter - Issue #2 - December 2022/January 2023. This issue centered around the new Act 158 graduation requirements and how the Keystone Exams fit into those pathways; we also provided an overview of the five pathways and what UCASD is doing to help our students earn their diplomas. 

Issue #3 - February/March - 2022-2023 School Year 

Our third issue was sent district-wide on Thursday, March 9, 2023. You can access it right here: UCASD Assessment Newsletter - Issue 3 - February/March 2023. We focused on important information for families leading into Spring assessment season, including building-specific testing information and resources to support students and families; we also highlight some of the great work of our faculty/staff!

Issue #4 - Summer 2023

Our fourth issue was sent district-wide on Friday, August 4, 2023. You can access it right here: UCASD Assessment Newsletter - Issue #4 - Summer 2023. This summer edition highlights some of the great things happening on campus as we reflect on 2022-2023 and plan for 2023-2024! It also provides families with important assessment information for next school year, including the PSSA and Keystone testing windows. 

Issues #5 & 6 - 2023-2024 School Year

For 2023-2024, we have transitioned to bi-annually published newsletter. Our next issue, to be published in January 2024, will focus on 2023-2024 statewide assessment information, assessment trends from 2022-2023 and how we're using that data to plan for the future and target student needs, and an update on PDE's release of new science standards and how UCASD is preparing for that implementation for 2025-2026. The June/July 2024 issue will include a reflection on the 2023-2024 school year and information looking forward to 2024-2025.

Check back for our next issue's release! As always, as you have any questions or concerns about state or local assessments, do not hesitate to reach out to your School Assessment Coordinator (Elementary School - Ed McMahan; Middle School - Joe Anthony; High School - Anne Conti) or our District Assessment Coordinator, email Stacey Dell.

Assessment Information

Building-Level Assessment Schedules

Winter & Spring 2023-2024

Click the link below to see each building's individual assessment schedule for Winter and Spring Keystones and Spring PSSAs!

• UCASD PSSA and Keystone Exams Opt-Out Procedures 

• Spring 2023 PSSAs - Parent Letter with FAQs

• Winter & Spring 2023-2024 Keystone Exams - Parent Letter with FAQs

• Information for Families - Electronic Devices - PSSAs & Keystones 2023-2024

• Exceeding 1% PASA Threshold

Note: All parents/guardians of eligible test-takers receive a physical copy of both the Parent Letter and the Electronic Device information for the PSSAs and/or Keystone exams.

Page was last updated on 12/13/2023.